


Begin Again

by slxightofhand



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Brotherly Bonding, Brotherly Love, Far Harbor, Gen, Hugs, referenced male!Sole / Nick Valentine, references to male! Sole Survivor, the concept of Nick and DiMA rebuilding their relationship makes my heart warm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-15
Updated: 2017-07-15
Packaged: 2018-12-02 10:49:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11507853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slxightofhand/pseuds/slxightofhand
Summary: It wasn’t until Nick Valentine slammed back into DiMA’s life one day that he found himself actually wanting to hug anyone. Finding the synth he knew as his brother, lost to him for what felt like an enormous amount of time, seemed like an excellent occasion to put his observations in the “field” of hugging to the test. (Same verse asUnexpected Valentine.)





	Begin Again

Hugs weren’t something that DiMA was familiar with on a personal level. Or, at least, not something that he  _ remembered _ being familiar with in such a fashion. Embraces weren’t to be his strong suit, what with all the diodes and parts sticking out of his body; yet, this didn’t bother him. The synth didn’t have anyone he needed to be that close to anymore, after all.

But he had  _ observed _ such portrayals of affection between anyone from two particularly hug-happy acquaintances to a pair of star-crossed lovers. During his time in the Commonwealth, while with the Children of Atom, and at Acadia, such close physical contact was a sign of happiness, reassurance, fondness, all three at once… the possibilities were endless. As such, he found himself curious, but by no means envious or unhappy with the fact that he did not have anyone to hug, for these observations made for excellent notes and positive facts about the human race to give to concerned synths in Acadia.

It wasn’t until Nick Valentine slammed back into DiMA’s life one day that he found himself actually wanting to hug anyone. Finding the synth he knew as his brother, lost to him for what felt like an enormous amount of time, seemed like an excellent occasion to put his observations in the “field” of hugging to the test. When Nick showed obvious initial distrust as a result of his apparent memory loss, however, DiMA refrained. There was no need to push a boundary farther than it needed to be. Not until Nick came to trust the people of Acadia, and, eventually, DiMA.

If.

If Nick ever came to trust him and the people of Acadia.

That was his choice, after all. From what the man named Parker that had led Nick into Acadia had to say about him (either in private or while the two were side-by-side), it was clear that Nick had had some rather jarring experiences since their separation; therefore, DiMA was more than willing to give his brother some slack. Whatever he chose, he was just happy that Nick was still functional, still alive, still some semblance of the person that he had once known.

This grounding thought calmed his swirling emotions. His priority was, ultimately, to protect the people of Acadia; but he could justify some deviation from that norm if Nick was going to be allied to them anytime soon, and thereby in close proximity. Any rogue variable had to be kept under close watch, right?

But, after lengthy consideration, DiMA didn’t know why he had to find a reason to justify that he cared for someone that had been ripped from his life after years of being close.

 

\----------

 

It was a cloudy, rainy night when Nick came to speak to DiMA without Parker. The two men were usually inseparable, firing sarcastic comments back and forth between one another and generally remaining close. While DiMA approved wholeheartedly of the fact that Nick had made a friend (and this platonic status was debatable, what with the pair’s occasional brush of hands and the weight of their shared glances), he was also glad that Nick had come alone. This would give them an opportunity to talk openly and honestly without a middleman asking questions about the discussion material. And, with Nick’s cluelessness about most of their shared past, this was optimal.

The detective emerged from behind a rack of materials in the hall leading to Acadia’s entrance, having come from downstairs. DiMA, surprised, offered a little wave, disconnected himself from his chair, and rose to greet him properly. “Nick, hello. Did you need something?”

“Yeah, actually. Just wanted to know if you had any more coffee up here. I asked… Chase, was it? But she told me to check with you or Faraday, and I think the latter’s asleep. Parker might need some’a the stuff, as he’s burning the candle at both ends writing a report for the Minutemen, and… well. It’s admittedly one of  _ my _ vices.”

DiMA chuckled. “That’s fine. Let me see what we have in the storeroom-- follow me, please.”

As DiMA led the way to the storeroom in question, Nick followed, hands in the pockets of his coat. DiMA could almost sense Nick’s vague anxiety as they made their way down a flight of stairs; he made no comment, but he knew that a more serious conversational topic was going to be brought up once they reached their destination. A cold fear gripped his chest, for a brief moment. What if this was where Nick would mention that he didn’t want to be associated with DiMA or Acadia? What if this was to be the last time he’d see him?

Though his past was nothing but the past, Nick was one element from it that he wasn’t willing to let go of so easily. But if it was Nick’s wish to disconnect from that part of it, so be it. He would have to deal with the emotional consequences.

He’s borne similar burdens before. This would be nothing.

Right?

They stopped at the storeroom after what seemed like an eternity; and once they were both inside, Nick sighed and took off his hat, held it to his chest. “If it doesn’t trouble you too much, I, uh, I got somethin’ to say, too.”

DiMA, having retrieved a can of the requested coffee, faced Nick with the object in his hands and offered a peaceful smile. “Say your piece, Nick.”

“Thanks,” Nick replied, and mirrored DiMA’s expression, if a bit more tentatively. “I just… Parker and I found this entry in your memories, separate from the first one, of course. It wasn’t in regards to anything on the island. It was… a conversation between you and I.”

“Oh? What transpired in this memory, if I may ask?”

“We did meet after we… escaped the Institute. I didn’t recognize you at the time. I tried to defend myself from you, despite the lack of an actual threat, but… You managed to knock me out in the process. And with how aggressive I was being in that meeting, I can understand why.”

DiMA’s eyes widened. If this was a memory that was stored away in the Nucleus, then he saw why he had chosen to do so with it. “May I see the holotape that you retrieved when you decoded that entry?”

Nick nodded, dug around in his pocket for a moment, then offered the tape to DiMA. The latter synth murmured his thanks and pressed the holotape into the processor on the back of his neck. New data ran through his circuits; as such, he then executed a program that translated the holotape’s data into a memory that he could re-experience, and he watched and listened from his point of view.

It was just as his brother had said; an angry and almost scared Nick started off, telling DiMA to get away from him, inquiring as to what the hell he was. Things only escalated from there, because when DiMA attempted to offer help by means of reaching out to fix one of his brother’s broken parts, Nick initiated an impromptu fistfight to get the “plastic-skinned freak” away from him. They tussled and slammed each other into walls until DiMA was able to connect his fist with Nick’s head to knock him out. It ended with DiMA panting from exertion and whispering a goodbye to his only connection to his past life, his dear brother; then, the memory fizzled out, and he was looking at the same man that he fought long ago once more.

Readjusting to reality from the slight sensory whiplash, DiMA managed softly, “I… You’re right. I… I don’t know what to say.”

“ _ You _ don’t have to say anything, DiMA,” Nick reassured him. “What  _ I _ meant to say about this is… I’m sorry. I know I could have never known at the time, and-- hell, I’m still coming to terms with the fact that I... have a brother. But if I would have known, I would have never said what I said, then, or did what I did.”

DiMA paused, and the weight and icy-cold anxious feeling evaporated slowly from his chest. “You’re not angry with me for hurting you?”

“DiMA, do I look like I’m made of paper and glass?”

The referenced synth actually laughed and shook his head. “No. Not at all. You just look like you’ve been through hard times.”

“So do you. But that proves it, right? We were built to last. I’m fine after that little scrap. You’re fine after all that’s happened to you thus far.”

“I suppose you’re right, Nick. To put a finer point on it-- your apology is accepted, of course.”

Nick sighed again, now relieved, and replaced his hat. “Thanks. Been thinking about the right way to word all that for a handful of days, now.”

“Don’t worry,” DiMA said. There was the briefest of pauses as he made a split-second decision to step forward and carefully hug his brother, following the examples he’d seen so many times. “You did just fine.”

His arms were crossed over the top of Nick’s back, his elbows were crooked but not to the point of where they’d poke the other synth’s arms, his hands were softly at rest near his shoulders, and his chin was at rest on one of those same shoulders. He was sure he was following the “hug protocol” he’d devised from his research appropriately for this context.

Nick seemed shocked at the sudden embrace at first, not being a hug person in most interactions. He froze up a bit, and his arms simply hovered at his waist level for a moment, out in front of him. DiMA worried briefly that he’d done something wrong, and he was very tempted to back right back off. After what seemed like a moment’s consideration, however, Nick’s arms came to rest on DiMA’s back, effectively mirroring the Acadian synth’s methods-- with a little less intensity, of course, but that came with the unfamiliar territory. He didn’t have a proper response to DiMA’s comment; he simply let the moment be.

And, for that silence, and the moment itself, DiMA was grateful; tears would have emphasized this gratitude if he had them, but it was better that they didn’t interfere.


End file.
